Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-13
FALSE IDEAS OF MURDER.

FALSE IDEAS OF MURDER,
i certain false idea has taken
dangerous hold upon the intelligence of
remarkable number Of people otherwise
clear-headed. 1t was most prominent in
the case of Simon Raten, who murdered
james Lansing in this city Raten, a
Siberian, in fit Of drunken frenzy, con-
ceived that he had been denied some
rights by the police authorities, who refused
to arrest men who had whipped him.
He filled up on benzine whisky; bought a
weapon for the purpose, and carefully
loading it, event out hunting" upon the
streets of this city in broad day for the
men with whom he hadithe dificultyi pro-
posing to take the law into his own hands.
Seeing one of them he deliberately fred at
him, but missed his mark and wounded a
total stranger
Raten fed, pursued by officers and good
citizens seeking to arrest him. He turned
into an alley way, the pursuers, as they
had right to do, rs good citizens should
do, following him. As he passed the lot
Of James Lansing, the latter naturally
stepped out to ascertain what was the mat
ter-a perfectly natural action-and hear
ing the cry to stop the murderer" ad
vanoed into the alleyway, as was his right
and as good citizen his duty to do. Ra-
ten, who just then passed him. turned and
aimed his pistol at HIM. Lansing threw
up his hand, retreated and cried out
Don't shoot" But this wretched drunken
murderer did shoot, striking Lansing in
the side and killing him.
What happened =? Raten was convicted
of murder, but enough short-sighted citi-
zens, whose conceptions of the law and of
the rights of men are warped by some
strange idea Of seif-defense were found
to sign an effective petition for commuta-
ton OF the sentence of death the jury and
the law affixed and Raten's neck was
saved from a deserved hangman's moose.
The idea seemed TO be that though
Raten had murder in his heart though
he premeditatedly attempted to kill ::
though he shot the wrong man in the first
instance, he was pursued, was being
bounded" as the phrase goes, and fired
at Lansing in self-dgen8e that he really
did not intend to kill Lansing, because he
did not even know him, but shot at his
pursuers as "job lot" and therefore he
should not be punished with the extreme
penalty of the law, % for the element of
malice was lacking"
These citizens were totally obIivious to
the fact that Raten was LAWFULLY pursued ::
that he was fleeing from justice-attempt
ing 10 escape from the consequences of a
orime-and in that attempt did intend to
Kill whoever interrupted him, and that all
su IA killing is foul murder The pre-
su nption Is that person intends the
ordinary consequences Of his voluntary
ac'. and this wise presumption, uncontra-
dicted, these citizens wholly ignored. The
lauity sentimentalitv that threw its sympa-
thIes about the murderer of James Lansing.
given full play, would place the life of
every citizen in peril 1t teaches that If
y, with murder in his heart, by misad-
Venture of his bullet kills B " instead of
CO at whom he aimed, he is rather to be
pitied than condemned. If Raten, having
no specific intent to kill the identical in
dividual named Lansing, should not be
punished for murder, then the sentimental
lists should have asked for an uncondi-
tional acquittal, and, after conviction, an
unconditional pardon for him. If his kill
ing of Lansing was unintended, mere mis-
chance, then Raten should suffer only for
manslaughter, and by 4 comparatively
brief Imprisonment If the theories of
any law writers support the sentimentalists,
then such writers are behind the age of
reason and practical common sense.
The same illogical and dangerous
doctrine advanced to save Ratan's neck
was projected in the Hong Di case. Accent
ing that murderer's statement as true, that
he killed Mrs. Billion by accident, while
attempting to kill Weaver-though it
was clearly proven that Hong Di lied and
that it was physically impossible for his
story to be true-the sentimentalists' false
notion OF human responsibility cropped
on; IN the vote of the two jurymen who
wanted Hong Di acquitted. They were
more consistent, however, than the Raten
sentimentalists, who pleaded his non-intept
against Lansing, but consented to his i'm
priseament for life. The false sentiment
develops also in certain other quarters in
favor of Hong Di, and is based in this in
stance upon vague suspicion born Of
cruel and case-hardened cynicism.
1t would appear that in this day and
age with certain classes of suspicious people
it is enough to lay charge to justify ire
vocabIe condemnation. Who has the
right, under the facts, to say that Hong
Di did not intend, corruptly, willfully and
murderously intend, to assassinate Mrs.
Billion? Who has the warrant Of testi-